Container stopper restraining device

ABSTRACT

A novel device for restraining movement of a stopper from the mouth and neck of a container of a frangible material such as glass. The device includes a main stopper restraining portion of a flexible material for dispostion in at least near contact with the upper surface of the stopper and a plurality of straps or strap portions of a flexible material and extending outwardly from the main stopper portion for locking to each other about the neck of the container and for locking of such main portion of the device in its stopper restraining position.

United States Patent [191 Andrade et al.

CONTAINER STOPPER RESTRAINING DEVICE Inventors: John W. Andrade, Horseheads,

N.Y.; Kenneth G. Howe, Tioga, Pa.

Assignee: Corning Glass Works, Corning,

Filed: Oct. 30, 1972 Appl. No.: 302,131

us. Cl. 215/94, 215/82 1m. Cl .L 865d 55/06 Field of Search 215/94, 96, 98, 99,

215/82, 86; 24/16 PB, 73 PB References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 4/1908 Great Britain 215/98 12/1917 Great Britain 215/94 4/1957 Italy 215/94 Nov. 27, 1973 333,962 2/1936 Italy 215/82 Primary ExaminerHerbert F. Ross AttorneyClarence R. Patty, Jr. et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A novel device for restraining movement of a stopper from the mouth and neck of a container of a frangible material such as glass. The device includes a main stopper restraining portion of a flexible material for dispostion in at least near contact with the upper surface of the stopper and a plurality of straps or strap portions of a flexible material and extending outwardly from the main stopper portion for locking to each other about the neck of the container and for locking of such main portion of the device in its stopper restraining position.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures CONTAINER STOPPER RESTRAINING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, stoppers disposed in the mouths and I therefore, the container stopper restraining device of thepresent invention was developed to substantially reduce the difficulty and time required for the application of a stopper restraining device to a stopper and associated container of the class mentioned. Furthermore, it is often desirable for reasons of safety that the stoppers used in frangible containers holding certain types of materials be permitted to be partially moved or forced out of the mouths and necks of the containers to prevent bursting of the containers and the resultant danger of flying particles or pieces of the materials of the containers if such containers should burst. For example, a container of a frangible material such as glass and containing a material'or ingredients which may release a gas under a high pressure under some conditions, should be provided with a stopper so arranged that it can be forced or moved out of the mouth and neck of the container to release said pressure rather than permit the pressure to burst the container and endanger personnel in the near vicinity of or handling the container. At the same time it is desirable that the stopper should be restrained from too ease of movement out of the container while, if such a movement of the stopper does take place, to prevent the stopper from being ejected at a high rate of speed. Thus, some type of stopper restraining device is called for under said .comes the above-mentioned disadvantages of stopper restraining devices such as the wire or wire-likeharnesses or networks oftentimes used for restraining movement of stoppers from the necks and mouths of containers.

Other advantages and characteristic features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is believed to be adequately summarized in the foregoing abstract of the disclosure and, therefore, in order to prevent repetition or redundancy, no further summary of the invention is considered necessary nor will any be given.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a plan view of the container stopper restraining device embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 illustrating such device when applied to the mouth and neck of a container for restraining a stopper therein.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the Figs. of the drawings.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawings; there is shown a container stopper restraining device 10 including a body or main stopper restraining portion 11 of a relatively thin sheet of flexible material, such as a suitable rubber or plastic material, such main portion being intended for disposition in at least near contact with'the upper surface of a stopper in the mouth and neck of a container as discussed hereinafter'in conjunction with FIG. 2. Main portion 11 may, if desired, embody a hole 11a through which a pouring tube may extend when the device of the invention is employed with a stopper having such a tube.

Device 10 further includes first and second pairs of first and second complemental and associated straps or strap portions 12 and 13, and 14 and 15, respectively, which extend laterally from first and second opposite edges of said main stopper portion 1 1 adjacent one end of such portion and said straps are also of a flexible material. Such strap portions are preferably made integrant with the material of said main portion 11 of the stopper restraining device but, if considered desirable or expedient to do so, they can be made of separate piecesof material and attacl'led to said main portion in any convenient manner, such as by being riveted thereto for example. The strap portions 12 and 14 of said pairs thereof are each provided with a slot or passage, such as 12a and 14a, extending through the respective strap portion for receipt of the associated complemental strap portion such as 13 and I5, respectively. Such strap portions 13 and I5 each include on one surface thereof a plurality of projecting and spaced apart lugs such as 13a and 15a, respectively, such lugs on each respective strap portion having spaces therebetween preferably of a width slightly greater than the thickness of the strap portions 12 and 14. Said lugs and said slots or passages provide means for latching strap portions 12 and 13, respectively, and I4 and 15, respectively, to each other when they are bent or wrapped about or around the neck of a container in a surrounding relationship therewith as further discussed hereinafter in conjunction with FIG. 2 of the drawings. It is pointed out that only one pair of said strap portions may be provided if desired.

A third strap portion 16 of a flexible material, and preferably also integrant with the' material of main portion 11 of the stopper restrainer 10, extends from an edge of said main stopper portion at a second end of such portion and in a direction which is generally at right angles to the direction in which said first and sec ond strap portions extend, such third strap portion including on one surface thereof a plurality of projecting and spaced apart lugs such as 16a which have spaces therebetween preferably of a width slightly greater than the widthof associated strap portions 12 and 13, or 14 and 15. Said lugs provide means for latching of strap portion 16 by at least one of said strap portions of said pairs of strap portions (1243, 14-15) when strap portion 16 is bent downwardly in general alignment with the axis of the neck of a container and is surrounded by said one strap portion of said pairs thereof, as also further discussed below in conjunction with FIG. 2 of the drawings.

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings in detail, there is shown an upper portion of a container 17 which includes a mouth or lip portion 17a and a neck 17b. Container 17 may, for example, be a bottle or flask used for holding any material, such as a chemical for example, and when the flask or bottle is used for holding a chemical, it would probably be made of a frangible material such as glass. However, the material of which flask or bottle 17 is made is not important since the stopper restraining device of the present invention can be used with any suitably shaped container.

A stopper 18 is shown in the mouth and neck 17a and 17b, respectively, of container 17 and such stopper may, for example, be made of rubber as many of such stoppers are. In use the stopper restraining device is positioned with main portion 11 thereof disposed in at least near contact with the top surface of stopper 18 as shown in FIG. 2 and the end of said main portion 11 of device 10, adjacent which strap portions 12 and 13, and 14 and are attached, is bent or partly folded to extend downwardly along neck 17b of container 17 so that said strap portions (12, l3, l4 and 15) can be bent or wrapped around such neck below mouth or lip portion 17a of the container. After said strap portions are so wrapped or bent, the ends of strap portions 13 and 15 are then extended or projected through slots 12a and 144, respectively, embodied in strap portions 12 and 14.

Strap portion 16 isbent downwardly along the neck 17b of container 17 in general alignment with the axis of such neck to hold main portion 11 of device 10 in the position shown in FIG. 2 and so that said cooperative strap portions 12 and 13, and 14 and 15 surround said strap portion 16. Each of the strap portions 13 and 15 are then pulled through their associated slots 12a and 14a, respectively, until the associated strap portions 12-13 and 14-15, surround neck 17b of container 17 and strap portion 16 in a relatively snug relationship therewith. At such time strap portion 13 or strap portion 15, or both such strap portions, extend through one of the spaces provided between the lugs such as 16a on strap portion 16 to latch this latter strap portion and, thereby, main portion 11 of stopper restrainer 10 in the positions shown in FIG. 2. Also at such time, one of the lugs such as 13a and 15a on each of the strap portions 13 and 15, respectively, latches such strap portions within the slots 12a and 14a, respectively, embodied in the complemental and cooperative strap portions 12 and 14. Such arrangement will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from FIG. 2 of the drawings taken in conjunction with the foregoing brief description of the use of the container stopper restraining device 10 in being applied to a container such as 17 for the purpose of restraining a stopper such as 18 from movement or any extreme movment from the mouth and neck 17a and 17b of container 117.

Although there is herein shown and described only one form of a device embodying the invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

We claim:

1. A device for restraining movement of stoppers from the mouths and necks of containers, such device comprising;

A. a main stopper restraining portion of a flexible material for disposition adjacent the upper surface of a stopper disposed in the mouth and neck of a container;

B. at least one pair of first and second complemental strap portions of a flexible material extending laterally from first and second opposite edges of said main portion and attached thereto on said edges thereof, said strap portions including cooperative means for latching to each other when bent to meet each other as by being bent about the neck of a container in a surrounding relationship therewith, such latching means including a slot in one of such strap portions through which the other of such strap portions can extend and a plurality of projecting and spaced apart lugs on such other strap portion and cooperative with said slot for latching such other strap portion adjacent said slot when extended therethrough; and

C. a third strap portion of a flexible material extending from an edge of said main portion in a direction generally at right angles to said first and second strap portions, such third strap portion including means for latching thereof by one of said first and second strap portions when bent downwardly in general alignment with the axis of the neck of a container and surrounded by said one of said first and second strap portions.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 and in which said main stopper restraining portion and said strap portions are integrant with each other.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 and in which said means on said third strap portion for latching by one of said first and second strap portions includes a projecting lug on the third strap portion for engagement with an edge of said one of the first and second strap portions when surrounded thereby.

4. A device in accordance with claim 2 and in which said means on said third strap portion for latching by one of said first and second strap portions includes a projecting lug on the third strap portion for engagement with an edge of said one of the first and second strap portions when surrounded thereby. 

1. A device for restraining movement of stoppers from the mouths and necks of containers, such device comprising; A. a main stopper restraining portion of a flexible material for disposition adjacent the upper surface of a stopper disposed in the mouth and neck of a container; B. at least one pair of first and second complemental strap portions of a flexible material extending laterally from first and second opposite edges of said main portion and attached thereto on said edges thereof, said strap portions including cooperative means for latching to each other when bent to meet each other as by being bent about the neck of a container in a surrounding relationship therewith, such latching means including a slot in one of such strap portions through which the other of such strap portions can extend and a plurality of projecting and spaced apart lugs on such other strap portion and cooperative with said slot for latching such other strap portion adjacent said slot when extended therethrough; and C. a third strap portion of a flexible material extending from an edge of said main portion in a direction generally at right angles to said first and second strap portions, such third strap portion including means for latching thereof by one of said first and second strap portions when bent downwardly in general alignment with the axis of the neck of a container and surrounded by said one of said first and second strap portions.
 2. A device in accordance with claim 1 and in which said main stopper restraining portion and said strap portions are integrant with each other.
 3. A device in accordance with claim 1 and in which said means on said third strap portion for latching by one of said first and second strap portions includes a projecting lug on the third strap portion for engagement with an edge of said one of the first and second strap portions when surrounded thereby.
 4. A device in accordance with claim 2 and in which said means on said third strap portion for latching by one of said first and second strap portions includes a projecting lug on the third strap portion for engagement with an edge of said one of the first and second strap portions when surrounded thereby. 